Call Us the Avengers
by Alydia Rackham
Summary: Sequel to A New Ballgame.The new Avenger Initiative, led by Tony Stark, Wolverine and Spiderman, is recruiting. But trouble arises when an enemy switches loyalties, and Dr. Doom and Kingpin devise a plot to destroy all that the superheroes stand for.
1. Chapter 1

_Please review!!_

VVVVVVVVV

PROLOGUE

"Where did you dig this guy up?"

"What do you mean? He dug _me_ up. Lay off, okay? He's a friend."

"Your _friend?_ He's got big long sharp claws that come out of his--"

"I know, I know--and he's nearly killed me with them a couple times."

"And you still hang out?"

"Hey, if I had a buck for every time _you _nearly got me killed, I'd be--"

"What? Would anything at all be different, Tony?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't have all these gray hairs in my beard--"

"Oh, shut up."

"You shut up--he's getting in the car."

Tony Stark glanced over his shoulder to the back seat of the black BMW to see Wolverine pull the door open and flop down inside, slam the door shut and adjust his black leather coat.

"Did you find any?" Tony wondered.

"Some cheap ones, but they'll work," Wolverine grunted as he reached inside his coat and pulled out a package of cigars. He tore it open and pulled out one of the stogies.

"You're not going to smoke that in the car, are you?" Rhodes, sitting in the passenger seat, looked alarmed as he glanced behind him. Tony gripped the steering wheel as Wolverine stilled completely and gave Rhodes a look of death.

"It's _my _car."

"Yeah, well, they're my lungs, so wait until we're not in a confined space, okay?" Tony inserted. Wolverine's jaw tightened, but he rammed the cigar back into its package and sat back, glancing out the window. Tony shot Rhodes a warning glance, because he sensed Rhodes was going to mention a seat belt, and Rhodes heeded it. Tony suppressed a smile. He knew Wolverine--Logan--well enough now to realize that half the time, he was just rough and snarling because he enjoyed the tension it created--and Tony could only get away with answering back at him like that because of what they'd been through together.

Tony flipped the car into gear and hit the gas, pulling out of the filling station parking lot and back onto the highway.

"All right, boys--from here on out we're just getting deeper and deeper into the boonies."

"And you're sure you want to do this?" Rhodes asked, narrowing his eyes at the winding road. "Go find a guy who can toss a tank around like a beach ball."

"That's _exactly _why we want to find him." Tony shrugged. "Besides, I know how irritating tanks can be."

Wolverine chuckled darkly. Rhodes sighed.

"Okay. We'll see what happens."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for the reviews! Make sure to tell me what you think so I know whether or not to keep going with this!! :)_

_VVVVVVVVVVVV_

CHAPTER ONE

"Wow--it's really...isolated out here," Rhodes commented quietly as he got out of the car and glanced around. Tony pushed his own door open and rose, feeling the cool breeze blow through his hair and jacket. They had parked the car at the dead end of a dirt road, and now gazed over an overgrown, green meadow hedged by a gnarled, dark forest in the distance.

"I like it," Logan murmured from behind them. "It's quiet."

Tony glanced up at the sky through his sunglasses.

"Well, it looks like it's getting kinda late. Let's go see if we can find this guy."

The three of them stepped off the road into the knee-high grass and began to trudge through. Grasshoppers buzzed and snapped all around them, and birds twittered within the cover of the thick foliage.

"There's a path."

Tony and Rhodes stopped when Logan spoke, then turned and walked to him. It was true--a narrow path cut through the grass and headed off toward the forest.

"Could be a rabbit trail, or deer," Rhodes ventured.

"No," Logan shook his head once, then knelt down and touched the dirt with his fingertips. "There are human footprints here." He rose. "Let's go."

Tony and Rhodes fell in behind Logan and the three swiftly followed the path until they came to a small grove of trees. They slowed to a halt.

"Look," Tony pointed. "Tomatoes--over in that garden-looking thing."

"And cucumbers and onions and apples," Rhodes observed.

"That's why," Wolverine gestured slightly with his head, his black eyes piercing the air straight ahead of them. Tony squinted, then took off his glasses and tucked them in his pocket.

"Is that--"

"A house," Rhodes finished.

"Looks more like a shed," Logan frowned.

"Whatever," Rhodes muttered.

"Okay, let's go see," Tony stepped around Logan and kept to the path, which widened and deepened the closer it got to the wooden shed. The structure was old, and slightly leaning, but Tony could see some repairs had been done to the roof, and a tarp covered the window closest to the front door. He heard the footsteps of his teammates right behind him, and his own clunked against the wood of the front steps. Hesitating just a moment, he lifted his hand and knocked on the rough door.

Something shuffled violently inside. Then silence.

"Hey, it's okay," Tony was quick to assure whoever was within. "We're not here to hurt you. We just want to talk."

A timid voice issued from somewhere behind the door.

"How many of you are there?"

"Just three."

"Who are you?"

Tony glanced back at his friends.

"Tony Stark, Wolverine and Colonel Rhodes."

"Tony Stark?" the man inside whispered. He paused a long moment, then: "Okay--you can come in."

Cautiously, Tony moved the handle and pushed the door open. A man stood inside about twenty feet in front of him, lit only by the light that came in through a side window. He had a slight build, dark hair, small mouth, narrow face and cutting blue eyes. He wore a simple, long-sleeved white shirt, jeans and boots, and his arms hung down to his sides. Tony blinked, then smiled impulsively.

"What?" the stranger narrowed his eyes.

"Well," Tony chuckled. "You're not exactly what I pictured."

"What did you picture?"

Tony raised his eyebrows, then shrugged.

"I don't know--I pictured this twenty-foot tall green guy juggling jeeps."

The man's jaw tightened.

"That's not who I am." His voice quieted. "At least not all the time."

Tony felt Logan and Rhodes come in to stand on either side of him. The stranger's eyes darted to each man's face, but he did not move to retreat. Tony glanced around the room. It was sparsely-furnished, with just necessities: a table, chair, cabinet, small stove, ice-box, cot.

"What do you want?" the man asked.

"Just your name," Tony stepped forward and extended his hand. "Tony Stark--known in other circles as Iron Man."

The man stared at Tony's hand, then up into his eyes for a long moment. Finally, he reached up and gripped Tony's hand firmly.

"Bruce Banner."

Tony turned to the side to make room for Logan.

"And this is Logan--Wolverine."

Logan was clearly reluctant to exchange pleasantries, but when Tony shot him a pointed look, he grunted, stepped forward and roughly shook Bruce's hand.

"And this is Rhodie--who isn't cool enough to have a superhero name."

"Thanks, Tony," Rhodes chuckled, stepping up and also taking Bruce's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Did you say you were a colonel?" Bruce asked.

"Yes, I am," Rhodes replied. Bruce frowned.

"Is that how you knew how to find me?"

"Actually I talked to General Thunderbolt Ross after the nice mess downtown a while back," Tony admitted, sticking his hands in his pockets. Bruce's eyes widened.

"He knows where I am?"

"No," Logan spoke up. "He just gave us a few leads."

"Which is why we couldn't come straight here after talking to him--we had to do a little research," Tony finished.

"Why would you want to find me?" Bruce glanced at them sideways.

"Well, if you're willing, we'd actually like to give you a spot in the Avenger Initiative," Tony told him frankly.

Bruce watched him warily.

"What's the Avenger Initiative?"

"It's a band of um...superheroes," Tony explained. "There are just a handful of us right now, but we're recruiting."

"What's the purpose of the Avenger Initiative?" Bruce pressed.

"To go after threats together, instead of alone," Logan said simply. Bruce studied him for a long moment. Then he returned his eyes to Tony.

"I'm sorry. I can't help you."

Tony's brow furrowed.

"Why not? You can at least think about it."

"I don't have to think about it," Bruce said as he turned and walked over to his stove where a kettle was steaming. "I already know."

Rhodes stepped toward him.

"But with the kind of power you have--"

"I can't control it, all right?" Bruce said vehemently, his left fist clenching. "I can't always decide when that monster comes out of me, and there's no way I can make him leave." His voice quieted, and he kept his back to them. "I've destroyed more than I've ever built. And when that hulking thing comes out of me--I don't even know who I am anymore."

"Takes the Jekyll and Hyde thing to a new level," Tony commented dryly, trying to lighten the moment, but this time Logan shot him a warning glance. Silence fell. For a moment, no one moved. Then, to Tony's surprise, Logan stepped slowly toward Bruce and stood beside him, crossing his arms.

"I know this girl," Logan began in a low voice. "Whenever she touches somebody's skin, she sucks the life right out of them and sends them into a coma--or worse. And the bad thing is, she can't control it, either. It just happens when her skin touches somebody else's."

Tony saw Bruce glance briefly up at Wolverine.

"That's too bad," he said sympathetically.

"Yeah," Wolverine nodded. "But just a while ago, we found out that some piece of a painkiller medicine will block that power for a little bit--so we've gotten a lot closer to figuring out how she can turn that ability on and off." Wolverine shrugged. "Maybe we can do the same for you."

Bruce folded his own arms.

"It's a nice thought. But," he sighed. "I know better. Believe me, I'm a scientist, and I've tried everything already." He hung his head. "I'd be more of a hindrance than a help to you guys--and that's probably the last thing I want to be." He turned around and looked at all of them. "A band of superheroes is a great idea. The world needs something like that." He gave a small, resigned smile. "And I wish you the best of luck."

Tony's heart sank.

"Well...all right. Like I said, we're not here to drag you away, so..." He lifted his head and forced a smile. "We'll come back and see you sometime."

Bruce unexpectedly brightened.

"That would be...great." His smile became more real. "Yeah, that...sure, you can come back whenever you want--as long as nobody follows you here."

Tony nodded.

"Deal." He glanced at the others, then back at Bruce, and took a deep breath. "Okay, we won't bother you anymore--it was nice meeting you, Mr. Banner."

"Nice meeting you, too," Bruce said solemnly. "All of you."

Slowly, the three visitors filed out of the house. Tony rammed his hands in his pants pockets.

"Well, crap."

"You can say that again," Rhodes agreed darkly.

"Give him a little time," Wolverine advised. Tony shot him a look.

"What--you think he'll come around?"

Logan smiled wryly.

"He's not the only one with a beast somewhere inside him."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

_This is just a reminder: We're still going movieverse here, people. ;) Tell me what you think!_

_VVVVVVVVVVVV _

CHAPTER TWO

An explosion shattered the mahogany door, sending pieces of it shooting into the vast, shadowed room beyond. Five black-clad men bearing machine guns leaped inside, the lights that were mounted on their weapons sweeping through the dusty darkness. They kicked the debris aside, and it rattled as it skittered across the marble floor.

Slowly, the gunmen relaxed, and one glanced behind him.

"He's not here, boss."

A towering figure crunched his way over the rubble, the end of his lit cigar throwing shadows against his chiseled, dark features. He wore a white suit, and stood a full head taller than the other men. He passed through his gang and stopped at the front of it, glancing warily around the room.

"He's here somewhere." The deep, rumbling voice of the powerful black man echoed against the hard walls of the chamber.

"Indeed, I am."

They all whirled--except the tall man--to see a hologram sputter to life in the far corner. It was a mere flickering, black-and-white image--nevertheless, a second potent presence suddenly filled the room. The hologram was of a knife-like young man wearing a long riding cloak, his narrow face framed by straight black hair, his eyes piercing across the distance. The tall man in the white suit stepped toward him.

"You're a coward--you won't even face me yourself," he snarled.

The younger man cocked his head.

"I have neither need nor desire to face you, Fisk."

Fisk shook his head and took his cigar from his mouth.

"No. You're just worried that I'll knock your head in because of the gig you pulled."

The black-robed man raised his eyebrows.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"The devil you don't," Fisk advanced on the hologram. "The mutant-killing emitters you sold me for _millions _of dollars _don't work_."

The young man blinked.

"Really? I'm terribly sorry about that."

"Yeah," Fisk's eyes narrowed. "You will be. After I burn this house to the ground."

"Burn away," the young man answered flatly. "But you won't find anything useful. I'm not giving you any more."

"The only thing I ever got from you that was useful, I _took!_" Fisk chuckled roughly. The young man gave a twisted smile.

"I'm aware of that. Enjoy yourselves." The hologram sputtered, then went out. The Kingpin stood in silence a moment.

"Are we actually going to burn this place, boss?" one of his chronies asked hopefully. The boss bit down on his cigar.

"No. Not right now. He's probably not even on Manhattan. And it's too close to one of my banks." He strode past them, back toward the door. "I have work to do."

VVVVVVVV

The young man who had just projected his image into the upper level of the old Osborn mansion actually stood atop the Empire State Building, leaning against the spire, his arms crossed over his chest. He scowled down at the dark city, which was still alive and bustling even this late at night, blazing anger in his chest, a cold look on his face. The Kingpin would not burn the Osborn mansion--it was too close to the MidApple Bank, a place where Fisk held much of his funds. But it wasn't safe for the young man to return there. He lifted his face and inwardly swore. He turned, stepped soundlessly down from his perch, and faced the mainland. He had hoped he would not have to do this. But now it appeared he had no choice. Fixing his eyes on the river, he broke into a run, and leaped off of the building.

VVVVVVVVVVV

"Well, I'm sorry about--what's his name? Bruce?"

"Yeah. Bruce Banner." Tony slowly strolled with Pepper down one of the paths behind the Xavier mansion. It was a bright September day, and the air was crisp as fall made its relaxed approach. Tony stuck his hands in his jeans pockets and kicked an acorn.

"It's just frustrating. I'd like to help the guy. He's all by himself, living in a shack, afraid to come out because people are shooting at him with tanks."

Pepper slid her hand down and clasped his, then leaned her head over onto his shoulder.

"So I guess that means you don't want to do any wedding planning today?"

He blinked and turned to her, and she raised her face.

"I didn't say that. That's what we had planned, so if you--"

She smiled.

"It's okay, Tony. I know you're not in the mood. And frankly, I'm not either."

Tony frowned.

"What does that mean?" he wondered, putting on a suave air. "Aren't you anxious to marry someone as devilshly good-looking as me?"

Pepper smirked.

"I could say the same to you." She winked. "But I'd never get in the way of your superhero work."

Tony stopped and turned so he stood in front of her, clasping both of her hands. He gazed down at her elegant fingers, and rubbed her dainty engagement ring. He searched for words, then finally glanced seriously up at her.

"You know that you come before any kind of superhero work, don't you Pepper?" he asked quietly. "You know that, right?"

Pepper gazed back at him a moment, her expression softening.

"Yeah, I do."

He felt himself smile, then leaned forward and kissed her gently.

VVVVVVVVVV

Tony sat by the fire and stared out the dark window, having forgotten his coffee. He and Pepper had actually put off the wedding planning in favor of going out to lunch and walking around downtown Manhattan. Now he was tired, but even though everyone else had gone to bed, he was still thinking too much to be able to rest. He sighed, leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on the coffee table.

Heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway. Tony didn't have to turn to know it was Logan.

"Don't you ever sleep?" He tossed the jibe over his shoulder.

"Look who's talking," came the muttered retort.

"At least I don't pace around like a metal-boned bear," Tony answered.

"I heard something."

Tony sat up, his amusement leaving him, and turned in his chair.

"What--outside?"

"Yeah."

"Like what?" Tony stood.

"Like a person," Logan said shortly. "Stay there."

"I'm not--"

"Do it."

Tony gritted his teeth. He hated the reminder, but he needed it. Without his suit, he had no special powers--and having mental genius wouldn't really help if people come running at him with guns.

Logan's footsteps quieted as he approached the door. Then, three purposeful knocks sounded against the wooden entrance. Tony held his breath. The door swung open.

Logan roared. Another man cried:

"Wait!"

But Logan did not. Punches rang out, and kicks struck home. Two struggling bodies thudded to the floor. Men's voices joined in outraged grunts and shouts. Tony's fists clenched. Logan's claws shot out with a _shink_. Everything went still.

Tony bolted out into the hallway--then skidded to a halt.

Logan's left-hand claws were out. The other hand gripped a young man by the back of the shirt. Logan, his teeth bared, viciously dragged the youth to his feet and shook him once, hard. Tony stared.

The younger man was pale, dressed all in black, with long, ebony hair hanging around his face. Blood trickled down his chin, and his blue eyes burned. Logan held the ends of his claws to the young man's throat. Tony forcefully gathered himself and strode forward.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Vicar," he said coldly. "Did you finally just get tired of your gloomy life and come here to end it all?" He stopped and crossed his arms, feeling his forearms press against his chest piece. "Because what else could you possibly expect by coming here?"

Vicar raised a surprisingly steady hand and wiped his mouth. He straightened himself as best he could with Logan's wicked claws so near his throat, and met Tony's gaze.

"I've come here to offer you something in exchange for sanctuary."

Wolverine snorted, and Tony arched an eyebrow.

"Oh, really? And what would that be?"

"Iceman is alive," Edmund Vicar said, narrowing his eyes. "And I know where he is."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry for the long delay, folks. Hope you'll forgive me, and that you like this next part. Lemme know! :)_

VVVVVVVVVVV

"Easy, Logan," Tony tensely advised. Wolverine ignored him, took Prince by the collar and flung him hard against the cement back wall of the cell. Prince struck it with a thud and a hitched yelp, then collapsed to the floor.

"Easy?" Logan snarled, swiftly stretching his neck and loosening his right arm. "I'm just getting warmed up."

Tony took a step forward.

"Okay, Vicar how did you survive?"

"I got lucky," he muttered, trying to rise. Logan kicked him in the ribs. Hard. Vicar jerked and fell back to the floor. Tony reached out and clenched a hand around Logan's upper arm. He addressed Vicar again, his voice hardening.

"No way. I hit you full on and that glider exploded. _Nobody _would have survived that--so how did _you?_"

Vicar glanced at them out of the corner of his eye, through strands of his black hair.

"The same way I have for four-hundred years."

Silence fell. Logan's lip curled.

"What are you?"

"What's wrong?" The female voice echoed through the basement and Tony turned to see both Rogue and Pepper trip down the stairs and stop in the long, white corridor. They both wore long house coats.

"We heard yelling in the hall," Pepper explained, her brow furrowing as she focused on Tony and started toward him.

"Logan," Tony warned under his breath, keeping his eyes on Pepper. Logan glanced down the hall at the girls and instantly comprehended. He backed swiftly out of the cell and punched a button on the wall that sent a thick set of bars sliding heavily down from the ceiling and locking as it struck the floor. That sent Pepper into a trot, and Rogue hurried after, limping slightly, her bright eyes worried. Pepper neared Tony's side, then turned and gazed into the cell. Prince moaned, eased over and lay on his back, his eyes closed. Blood ran down his face from his lip and a new cut above his eyebrow.

"Who is that?" Pepper asked quietly.

"Well, it's--"Tony started, shifting.

"Night Prince," Rogue whispered, staring at him. Prince turned his pale face toward her and opened his eyes.

"Very astute, little one," he smiled weakly, showing the blood on his teeth from his injury.

"Don't you talk to her," Logan snapped. Prince sighed, shut his eyes again and swallowed roughly.

"Why? What are you afraid I'm going to do?"

"You shot me through the heart," Logan answered wrathfully. "I'm not giving you the chance to do anything else."

"Does it look like I have a gun?" Prince muttered. "I'm not stupid--I came here unarmed. I can't hurt you."

"Bull crap," Tony retorted, reflexively standing a bit in front of Pepper.

"Look, I told you why I came," Prince tried again, adjusting so he could sit up. He succeeded, wincing, then gasped and leaned back against the wall. He glanced up at them. "If you would stop beating the snot out of me for five minutes I could explain."

"Why should we believe you?" Tony asked pointedly. "It wouldn't be the first time you'd lied to everybody."

"I prefer to conduct my evil schemes from the safety of my mansion rather than in a cell being beaten by a clawed maniac, thank you," Prince glared at Logan. Logan made a growling noise.

"What did he already tell you?" Rogue asked quietly. Logan glanced at her, and his brow softened minutely. He blinked, then swallowed.

"It doesn't matter. It's a lie."

Rogue studied him, and her gaze intensified.

"Logan," she stepped toward him. "What did he say?"

"He said Iceman is alive," Tony said quietly.

Rogue's gaze darted over to Tony, her eyes widening, her face paling.

"What?"

"It's true. Your boyfriend's fine," Prince grunted, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Rogue slowly turned to face him, then moved closer to the bars, her steps uneven because of the air cast on her leg.

"You're lying," she breathed, her eyes burning. He smirked.

"Now how could I lie to a pretty face like yours?"

"Shut up," she bit out. Tears welled up in her eyes and her voice rose and shook. "You killed him! How _dare _you even show your face around here and say _anything _to me after what you've done to people I love?"

"Relax, darling," Prince said coolly. "There's no point in getting upset. Iceman is in a compound in Siberia." His lips twisted. "Thought that would be fitting."

Something inside Rogue snapped. She lunged forward, grabbed the bars and shook them with all her might, clanging the door in its casement.

"You _monster!_" she screamed, then shattered into nonsensical hysterics, howling and threatening, tears streaming down her face. Tony snatched at an anxious Pepper, who had instinctively started forward to embrace Rogue--it was easy to forget how deadly the girl's skin was.

Logan, however, didn't think about it. His face pained, he took two steps and swept Rogue up, wrapping both muscled arms around her waist, pulling her into him so her back pressed against his chest. He bent his head down and leaned the side of his face into her hair, stepping back, drawing her away from the cell. Her grasp slipped from the bars, and she resisted, her wails of denial and rage rising, but he pulled her back down toward the hall, whispering firmly in her ear. She twisted in his arms, facing back toward the cell, her voice ringing through the basement. Finally, Logan swiftly, roughly, picked her up, still talking to her, and she dug her fingers into the back of her shirt, her feet dangling above the ground, her eyes streaming. He headed with her up the stairs, her ragged sobbing fading away. Tony and Pepper stood, frozen, listening as his footsteps, and the wracking echoes of her grief, died. Tony glanced back over at Night Prince.

Prince was solemnly staring at the place where they had disappeared. Then his cold eyes met Tony's.

"I'm not lying, Stark." He said in a low tone. "I know where he is. And I'll give you the latitude and longitude right now." 

_VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV_

"Shh, shh," Logan soothed, gently tightening his arms around Marie's shuddering form. He carefully made his way up the stairs, into the cool, dark, wooden hallway, his bare feet silent on the floor. He felt her curl her fingers through his hair as she gasped and choked in his ear.

"Logan," she whispered, her voice hitching with sobs. She wasn't breathing. His brow tensed and he rubbed his right hand back and forth on her back.

"Hey, it's okay. Concentrate," he advised as he turned and headed up the next flight of ornate steps. "Open your throat, relax your chest. Take a deep breath."

He felt her try to do so. He arrived on the landing and made his way down the darkened corridor to the door of her room.

Wordlessly, he let her slide down so she was standing on her own, her feet hitting the carpet with a gentle thump. He opened her door and ushered her in, his arm wrapped closely around her waist. Her bed, lit by the moonlight, was in disarray, the top thick comforter and sheet flung aside.

"Go ahead," he urged, softly pushing her down so she sat on the edge of her bed. He bent down and picked up her feet in his calloused hands, lifting them up and slowly bringing her legs over to lay on the mattress. "Your foot is freezing," he commented, squeezing it as she eased listlessly down onto her pillow. He was careful as he placed her bound foot down, then he reached over and flicked on her soft bedside lamp. She was illuminated in gentle, gold light. Her dark gaze was distant, sparkling tears trickling down her cheeks. Logan turned, took up the sheet and fleece comforter, then carefully draped their warmth over her, tucking the edge around her shoulders. Sighing, he settled down onto the edge of the bed, facing her, his eyes tracing her features, saying nothing.

"Do you think he's alive?" she whispered. His chest tightened.

"I dunno, Marie." His voice came out hoarser than he had planned. She blinked, and a hot tear spilled out, running down her nose.

"What if he is?"

Logan shifted, swallowing. He hurt somewhere, but couldn't find the spot.

"Then, I'd..." He stopped, steadying his voice. "I'd find him for you."

Marie blinked again, then turned her brown eyes to his.

"You'd do that?"

He forced a smile.

"I'd do anything for my girl."

A soft smile graced her delicate lips.

"I'd like to see him again."

Logan took a sharp breath. Blast it, he needed to get ahold of himself. He glanced up for a moment, then looked back at her, his smile becoming more fake. He hoped she didn't notice.

"Sure. So would I," he bluffed.

Her smile faded. The pain somewhere inside Logan became sharper.

Marie lifted her hand. Slowly, she reached up, and with almost knowing fingers, she pressed the place on his chest where the bullet had pierced his heart--the place where he hurt. He stopped breathing. She rubbed her fingertips minutely back and forth against his t-shirt, her gaze focusing on the place.

"What?" Logan asked haltingly.

"Nothing," she murmured, apparently troubled. Fighting against being overcome, Logan leaned forward and stroked her hair. He kept caressing, a fleeting memory of being soothed that way himself tugging at the edge of his mind. His hand strayed over the skin of her forehead, and she stiffened.

"Be careful, Logan."

"It's okay, hon," he smiled lopsidedly. "I'm used to it."

She smiled tiredly back at him, and he kept stroking until her eyelids fluttered closed and her breathing became steady and deep.

VVVVVVVVVVV

"There it is," Tony muttered, fixing his eyes on the computer screen. Pepper neared him and bent down so she could see, tucking a strand of ginger hair behind her ear. Her eyes narrowed.

"What is it?"

"An old military compound in Siberia," Tony told her quietly, sitting back in his chair, crossing his arms and draping a finger over his mouth. "And apparently, according to this database anyway, it's been a secret sanctuary for mutants for the past fifty years."

Pepper glanced up at the hallway that led from this lab to the cells.

"So you don't think he's lying."

"Heck, I don't know," Tony sighed. He gestured at the screen. "I mean, it sure looks like a possibility..." He shook his head and bit his lip. "I just don't know what's going on. It was all over the news: Iceman is dead." His voice lowered, his eyes unfocusing. "What's the point of spreading that around if it isn't true?"

Pepper perched on a tall stool, her hands in the pockets of her pink robe. She looked at the hall again.

"You might have to ask _him_."

Tony let out a breath and leaned back farther, tapping the metal tabletop with his fingers.

"Nah. I'm gonna...leave him alone for a while."

Pepper's silence was heavy. Finally, she spoke.

"Did Logan do that to him?"

Tony cleared his throat.

"You know how he is."

"But you don't approve." Her voice sounded dark. Tony looked up at her.

"I just know what it's like to be on the receiving end, that's all," he murmured. Pepper's bright eyes softened. She smiled quietly, reached over and rubbed his shoulder, then kissed his temple. He leaned toward her and answered her smile, then opened his mouth to say something.

Pepper's hand tightened on his shoulder. He stopped.

"What was that?" she whispered.

"What?"

She didn't answer. Then she stood up.

"That."

"I didn't hear anything."

"You listen to too much _Iron Maiden_," Pepper muttered.

"Not _that_ much," Tony protested.

"You don't need much at _that _volume to make you deaf."

"I am not deaf, okay?"

"You will be."

"Pepper, what--"

Pepper started across the room and into the hallway. Shoving his chair back, Tony got up and trotted after her.

"Pepper--"

"Shhhh," she hissed, hurrying up the stairs. Starting to get worried, Tony followed her more closely. They reached the main level, and Pepper didn't slow. She headed straight for the front door, which still bore the marks Logan's claws had made a month ago. _Then _Tony heard it.

"Somebody's knocking," he realized. "Woah, Pepper," he reached out and grabbed her arm, slowing her down.

"What?"

"Prince did the same thing earlier."

"What?"

"Knocked."

"That's what people generally do on front doors."

"Not in the middle of the night."

They stopped, and stood for a second, Tony placing himself in front of Pepper, then cautiously reached out and gripped the cold door handle. He turned it. The latch clicked. He pulled the heavy door open and peered around it.

A shorter man stood there, wearing a backpack, his head covered by his gray hoodie. He looked up at Tony, his narrow face finally allowing a small smile. Tony's mouth fell open. He recognized those brilliant green eyes.

"Bruce Banner!" Tony stammered. "Hey, uh...what's up?"

"I changed my mind," Bruce replied mildly.

"Fantastic," Tony said, stunned. He glanced past him, out into the pitch-black night. "How did you...How did you find us?"

Bruce's smile broadened. He shrugged.

"I did a little research."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks for the reviews! You guys are what keeps this alive, so keep 'em coming! ;)_

VVVVVVVVVVV

The whole mansion was buzzing. Everyone was excited--the faculty, staff, students, X-Men and regular folks alike. Beast had ordered that the whole mansion be cleaned from top to bottom, Storm was arranging a party, and all the girls were happily congratulating Rogue.

Bobby was coming home.

Tony stepped out of the way as two girls carrying boxes of soda toward the kitchen hurried past him and down the hall. The corridors rang with shouts and laughing, and the occasional voice of a teacher warning a student not to run. Tony knew that Pepper and Rogue were in the kitchen, helping to make a cake, Angel was on the roof patching a hole that had sprung just above Bobby's room, Bruce Banner was downstairs, solemnly staring at a computer screen just as he had been all week--but Tony had no idea where Logan was. For the past three days, in the hustle and bustle of festivities, Tony had never caught sight of the burly, irritable mutant. And, even for the Wolverine, that was weird.

Frowning, and deciding to follow a hunch, Tony grabbed a banister and swung himself up the stairs, trotting two at a time. Winding through several corridors and taking two more staircases, Tony finally arrived at the thick door of the loft. It hung slightly ajar. Pausing a second, he finally grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open, stepping inside and ignoring the squeak of the hinges.

The loft was large and mostly empty--a few couches and chairs had been arranged in circles, but they were dusty. Nobody really came up here. Except Logan.

Tony caught sight of the small cabinet in the corner and noticed it also hung open. He glimpsed two bottles of beer inside.

His foot hit something. He stopped, watching the empty beer bottle roll across the wooden floor. He winced briefly. Air touched his face, and he realized the window-door to the balcony was open. Maneuvering around the long, leather couch, he leaned around the doorframe.

Logan stood out there on the stone flags, leaning his hands on the railing, his blue flannel shirt hanging askew, a beer in his right hand. He apparently hadn't shaved in the past few days, and he was dark under his eyes. He stared out over the grounds, not seeing the sunshine on the leaves.

"Trust me, too much of that stuff will give you a headache like you wouldn't believe," Tony spoke up, venturing out onto the balcony and leaning sideways against the railing. Logan flicked him a glance and his mouth twitched in an almost smile.

"Hey, Tin Man."

Tony didn't reply. The wind blew through the trees below, and their clothes and hair. Logan glanced down at the gray stone beneath his hands.

"Has he said anything?"

"Who?" Tony wondered lightly. "The Incredibly Quiet who just sits and glares at the computer all day, or the totally creepy, black-haired guy who could melt you just by looking at you?"

Logan smirked.

"You know who I mean."

Tony sighed and shook his head.

"Nope. Vicar says he won't utter a single syllable until we're all together."

"Then I'd assume Spidey's on his way?"

"Yep--talked to him this morning," Tony confirmed. "He's set to take a train down to be here in time for Bobby's party tonight."

Logan lowered his head. He cleared his throat.

"That was a...sort of a big deal for Rhodes to pull that off for you, wasn't it?" He lifted his face and narrowed his eyes out at the grounds. "Bobby being in Siberia and all."

Tony shrugged.

"Oh, he's just trying to get on my good side."

Logan didn't laugh. He just took a gulp of beer and rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. Tony frowned.

"Are you okay?"

"What does it look like?" Logan muttered bitterly.

"Like the way I used to spend every Friday and Saturday night," Tony answered. "Which wasn't good."

Logan finished his beer and tossed the bottle to the side. It didn't break, but it bounced and then rolled noisily. Tony watched it, then studied Logan carefully.

"Do you have a problem with Iceman?" he asked in a low voice.

"No," Logan growled. "If that's what she wants, I'm not going to get in the way."

"She?" Tony repeated. "Rogue?"

Logan said nothing. His brow just darkened. Tony straightened.

"Wait a second--I thought you guys figured all that out."

"Figured _what _out?" Logan snapped.

"You said that you were going to tell her how you feel," Tony answered deliberately, pressing his forefinger down on the railing.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Logan growled, turning his back on him and stomping back into the loft.

"Apparently not," Tony answered back.

"You don't!" Logan whirled on him. "You're just fortunate enough to have fallen into a situation where the girl you love loves you back." His eyes blazed and his jaw tightened. "I've _never _had that luxury." He turned back around, shoved the couch loudly out of the way, kicked the door aside and stormed down the stairs. Tony let out a long, strained breath and ran a hand through his hair. Well, at least he'd gotten him out of the loft.

VVVVVVVVV

"Pete!" Tony embraced young Peter Parker and slapped him on the back. Peter backed up, grinning.

"Good to see you, Mr. Stark," he said cheerfully. "How have things been in this neck of the woods?"

"Relatively quiet, actually, without you hanging around," Tony teased.

"Very funny."

Night had fallen, and the mansion was alight on the inside. Tony glanced around. The hallway and living room were full of chattering students. Angel was standing off to one side, dressed all in black, his wings fluttering animatedly as he talked to a group of his friends. Storm and Beast were discussing on the opposite side, and Pepper was hovering behind him somewhere.

"I'm gonna go say hi to Angel," Peter told him loudly over the crowd noise.

"Okay, good seein' you, kid," Tony grinned and squeezed his shoulder as Pete stepped away toward his other friend. Tony strained his neck, looking for Logan--and finally found him. The Wolverine was leaning against a pillar, off by himself. Everybody else was relatively dressed up, but Logan still wore his jeans and flannel shirt. However, he had at least shaved. He stood with his arms crossed, his expression indicating that he was braced.

Tony's attention was caught by a shimmer of motion near the stairs--and anybody with sense turned and looked to see Rogue descending. Two days ago, she had been allowed to take off her air cast, and so now she moved much more easily than before. She wore a form-fitting, calf-length, red rose dress with a flared skirt. It was sleeveless, but she had donned long white gloves that came up past her elbows. Her long hair had been done up elegantly, and small silver earrings danced by her cheeks. Her face was alight, her eyes were vibrant, and she bore a ready smile that none of them had seen in a long time.

"Wow," Tony couldn't help but murmur. He glanced over at Logan. Logan was staring up at her, frozen.

Tony felt Pepper approach him from behind--he could always sense her warmth, her calm strength, even before she spoke. With both hands, she took gentle hold of his right arm, just above his elbow, and set her chin on his shoulder.

"Am I the only one who is seeing what's going on here?" she whispered, indicating Logan with a look. Tony gave a lopsided smile and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm not the most perceptive person in the world, but I'm seeing it, so...no, I would guess not."

Pepper sighed.

"Oh, dear. What are they going to do?"

Tony turned and slid his arm around her waist, leaning his head back and taking in the full picture of her face. She wore a modest, light blue shirt and black skirt, which suited her perfectly, her hair was half up, and she was smiling, just a little, looking back at him.

"Your halo's back," he told her. She canted her head.

"My halo?"

"Yeah, you always get that...shine around your head," he waved his hand to illustrate. "When you smile and...and look at me like that."

Her grin broadened and she blushed, glancing away.

"I think you're imagining things."

"Never," he assured her. Pepper was about to say something, but then frowned and looked past him as Rogue began threading quickly through the crowd.

"Uh, oh," Pepper said tightly.

"What?"

"She's going to..." Pepper trailed off. Willowy Rogue, her every movement graceful, moved past all the students until she was standing in front of Logan. Tony watched carefully. Rogue beamed up at Logan.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Oh, man..." Tony whispered. Logan swallowed visibly.

"You look beautiful," he answered frankly. Rogue sobered, but blushed crimson.

"I'm so confused," Tony groaned.

"So am I," Pepper said quietly. However, they didn't get to discuss further, because a cry went up from the lookout crew, and everyone straightened.

"Here he is! They're pulling up!"

Everyone began shifting eagerly so he could see, and Pepper drew Tony back out of the way. They heard car doors slam, and then the front door opened. A tall, black-clad, fair-haired, handsome young man with piercing blue eyes eased around the door and grinned.

"Hi, everybody."

Everyone cheered. He laughed and stepped inside. His friends grabbed him, shook him by the shoulders and tousled his hair. Beast shook his hand, and Storm tearfully embraced him. Then Iceman saw Rogue.

The smile fell from his face, replaced by a look of intensity.

"Uh, oh," Tony gritted.

"Relax," Pepper warned.

"I can't relax--Look at Logan."

But even he didn't look at Logan. He just watched as Bobby strode toward Marie, took her in his arms and kissed her deeply.

Pepper gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Everyone paused, as if waiting for doom to come crashing down. Nothing happened. Their lips parted, and he smiled at her.

"Okay, wasn't expecting that," Tony admitted tightly.

"They might have done that before," Pepper mused. Rogue looked flustered, but nobody gave them time to talk--everyone descended on him, including Peter Parker, talking to him and laughing. Iceman kept hold of Rogue's hand, and the crowd ushered them down the hall and toward the kitchen and dining room. Tony heard Pepper sigh.

"So what now?"

Tony bit his lip.

"Pete's here, so we can get to work."

"Do you want me to go to the kitchen, or do you--"

"Go ahead and go downstairs," Tony told her, squeezing her hand. "I want you with me so you can hear everything."

"Okay."

"I'll meet you down there."

Pepper nodded, her brow still tight with concern, then turned and made her way to the elevator. Tony turned to try and find Logan. He wasn't there. Frowning, Tony walked past the pillar Logan had been leaning against, passed into the darker part of the hall, and then spotted Logan striding heavily away. Tony took a deep breath, reached out and grabbed Logan's arm. Logan, surprisingly weakened, slowed down.

"Hey, Claws," Tony said. He moved closer and draped a brotherly arm around Logan's shoulders, stopping him where he stood. They stood there for just a second.

"Pete's here now, Angel's ready, Rhodie's somewhere outside, and Bruce is already there, so Vicar should be ready to talk," Tony said in a low voice. He slapped Logan's shoulder. "Whaddya say we go downstairs and talk shop?"

Logan's fierce brow tensed, but he glanced over at Tony. His mouth tightened, and he nodded. Tony smiled at him reassuringly, dropped his arm, and together they made their way downstairs.

VVVVVVVVV

"So nice to see you all together," Vicar said as he crossed his arms over his chest. His right eye was bruised black all the way down to his cheekbone, and his split lip was healing. Blood still stained the side of his face, because no one had ventured into the cell to give him first aid. He sat on the floor, leaning back against the wall of his cell. Facing him, on the other side of the bars, stood Angel, Pepper, Tony, Bruce Banner, Logan, Peter, Beast, Storm, and Rhodie. Tony took a step up.

"Okay, you held up your part of the deal--we've got Iceman back," Tony folded his own arms. "But now you need to answer some questions."

"I do?" Vicar arched an eyebrow.

"You agreed that you would," Beast pointed out. Vicar now raised both eyebrows.

"So?"

"Listen, you're the one who came here so we'd keep you safe," Tony reminded him. "Now how are we supposed to do that if we have no idea what we're keeping you safe from?"

Vicar sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"All right--here's some of it, anyway," he began. "The mutant emitters that I created are real. However, the ones I sold to Kingpin and Dr. Doom are not."

Angel's wings fluttered. Tony and Logan glanced at each other.

"That couldn't have made them too happy," Tony mused.

"It didn't," Vicar said darkly.

"What's the point of that, though?" Rhodie wanted to know. "Why give them fake emitters? You knew they'd come after you."

"Yes," Vicar said shortly. He didn't say any more.

"C'mon, you've got to give us more than that," Peter said.

"Not about that, I don't," Vicar countered.

"Lemme get this straight," Logan came up to stand by Tony. "You want us to protect you from two of the most dangerous crime lords on the continent but you don't want to tell us anything about that?"

"You know that doesn't make sense," Storm said pointedly, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Don't worry, I plan to make it worth your while," Vicar said coolly.

"How?" Tony demanded. "By donating from the vampire blood bank you've probably got in the basement of your mansion?"

Vicar chuckled.

"Wouldn't that be nice." He leaned his head back. "Sadly, however, my mansion has been compromised and much of it has been destroyed by the Kingpin."

Tony felt Pepper frown, and the whole mood darkened.

"How did that go?" Peter wondered.

"Not good," Vicar replied simply. "Luckily, I got a bit of a warning and got myself out in time, but just barely."

"So naturally you came here--where a whole bunch of people live who want to kill you," Logan finished.

"I had to tell you something," Vicar replied. "Something I learned when I had a meeting with Dr. Doom, before he realized the emitters were fake."

Nobody said anything--they waited. Vicar took a breath.

"He and Kingpin have stolen something from the United States Military. I don't know what it is exactly--but I know it has to do with the old Super Soldier project."

Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Bruce stiffen.

"Wait--what?" Rhodes exclaimed.

"Do you know any other details?" Beast wondered. Vicar shook his head.

"No. If I did, I would tell you."

"Sure," Logan scoffed. Vicar didn't bother answering him. He looked at Tony.

"The only way you're going to find out more details is if you do some investigating of the Kingpin."

Peter frowned.

"The Kingpin? I thought you learned this from Dr. Doom."

"I did. But they both know about it." Vicar's head lowered, as did his voice. "Don't go after Doom."

"Why not?" Logan asked.

"All of you are too loud," Vicar said frankly. "You'd never survive."

Logan snorted, turned and walked over to stand by a still-stiff Bruce. Tony narrowed his eyes at Vicar.

"That's an incredible leap of faith--for us to just blindly follow your advice."

"I know," Vicar said simply.

"Then why would we do it?"

Vicar watched him a moment.

"Because I'm not who you think I am, Stark," he said quietly. Tony just stood, his arms tight across his chest. Finally, he jerked his head to the side, indicating another room.

"Okay, we're going to go...have a pow-wow, okay?" He quickly turned and headed into the next room. As soon as everyone had entered after him, he shut the door.

"This smells like a trap," Logan grumbled.

"And I'm sure he knows that," Rhodie answered. "He's not stupid."

"No, he knows exactly what he's doing," Tony acknowledged, walking back to the group.

"Which is what?" Storm shrugged.

"I have no idea," Tony sighed

"But we're not going to trust him." Angel said it more like a statement than a question. Tony glanced at him.

"I don't see how we can."

"Wait--do any of you know anything about the Super Soldier project?" Bruce cut in, his quiet voice urgent as he searched their faces. Everyone took pause at the sound of his words, and looked at him.

"I know a little," Rhodie admitted. "Just that it had a few minor successes during World War Two, but then further trials failed, so it was shut down."

"Not quite." Bruce glanced around, as if afraid of being overheard. Instinctively, the others huddled closer, listening.

"The Supersoldier worked--it made a man incredibly fast, strong, flexible and powerful, but HQ wasn't satisfied with the results."

"Why?" Pepper wondered. Bruce glanced darkly at her.

"They wanted more. They wanted an even bigger transformation, a fighter who was just short of Superman, who could leap tall buildings in a single bound and..." he swallowed. "Juggle tanks."

They all stared at him.

"And so they got your Hulk," Tony said quietly. Bruce's mouth tightened, he glanced down and nodded.

"So there's a possibility that Dr. Doom and Kingpin have stolen the Supersoldier technology?" Beast ventured, his yellow eyes narrowing.

"_If_ we're going to believe the creep inside the cell," Logan reminded him.

"Let's just say we do," Bruce suggested. "_I _didn't fully understand what I was dealing with when I was doing my Supersoldier research. Dr. Doom, at least, _does _understand. He almost certainly knows I am connected with it, after what happened recently." His voice quieted. "He knows what it can do."

"So would this at least merit an investigation?" Beast wondered.

"I definitely think so," Bruce said right away. "We can't let _them_ have that kind of power."

"It's not your decision," Logan cut him off. Tony felt Pepper slide her hand down and take hold of his.

"Hey, we're not enemies here," Tony reminded them. "And we did bring Bruce on as an active member, so if he thinks we ought to check it out, we should."

"I would go against part of Vicar's advice, though," Peter added.

"What part?" Storm asked.

"If I know anything about either of them, Kingpin is surrounded by muscle and guns, and Doom is surrounded by science labs," Peter told them. "Our best chance at getting anything valuable would be to try Dr. Doom."

"We'll just try to be very quiet?" Angel guessed.

"Yeah, don't know what that was about," Tony brushed it off. "But I want Bruce to come with us."

Bruce's eyes widened.

"But--"

"You're the one who knows this stuff the best," Rhodie reminded him. "If you don't come, we won't know what we're looking at."

Bruce looked worried, but because no one said anything more, he reluctantly met Tony's eyes.

"All right. I'm in."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry for the long delay. My muse yanked me in several other directions and I had to obey. But watching "The Soloist" and "Wolverine: Origins" successively this past weekend has been a jumpstart to my inspiration, and kindled a desire to revisit two of my favorite heroes. Whether or not the story has the fuel to keep going, however, is, dear readers, up to you. _

_VVVVV_

Bobby enjoyed the seat of honor that evening. It happened to be the plush, comfortable leather couch in the den, surrounded by almost the entire noisy student body and staff, minus the Avengers members. People laughed, chatted, ate chips and drank soda, shook Bobby's hand, tousled his hair, and listened raptly whenever he talked, even if he only spoke of the changes done to the mansion or how jet-lagged he felt. To say they did not notice the person sitting next to him would not be entirely true. But neither did they pay special attention to the young lady seated just far enough away from him, saying nothing, observing quietly, her hands clasped demurely in her lap.

Marie watched Bobby's face, carefully keeping hers clear of emotion. He glanced at her often, and reached over to hold her hand. But she did not add to any conversation he held with anyone else. Her mind was too distracted, too tumultuous with oddly conflicting thoughts.

He was alive. He had always been alive. And for some reason, he had taken no pains to assure her of that fact, even as she had lain in her bed, wracked with sobs after hearing the news.

And he had kissed her when he came in. Without reserve, without fear---and without her feeling a thing. In fact, it had made her cold. Why? She cared for Bobby deeply, but after his "death," she had talked herself into believing that she had never loved him. Now, she knew that was not true. She did love him. But something else had happened in his absence, something subtle and hidden, and his return felt like an old key trying to fit into a new lock…

As the evening waned, people gradually drifted off to bed, and at last Bobby and Marie sat alone by the crackling fire.

"So," Bobby smiled, turning toward her. "How's my girl?"

"Hm?" Marie was slightly startled. For some reason, it sounded strange for that endearment to be spoken with his voice.

"I'm all right," she offered him a smile, recovering.

"I've heard otherwise," he countered. "You broke your leg."

"Yeah," she nodded, sighing and glancing down. "Peter Parker and I went after the Night Prince."

Bobby frowned.

"Edmund Vicar?"

Marie nodded.

"What were you planning to do?"

Marie shrugged.

"We were just doing reconnaissance. We didn't _plan _on getting caught."

"But you did," Bobby said darkly.

"Obviously." Marie canted her head. "What's that face supposed to mean?"

"Marie," Bobby scooted closer to her, his expression thoughtful as he took both her gloved hands in his. "I just don't like it when you take unnecessary risks."

"It wasn't unnecessary," Marie insisted. "People were dying. We had to do something."

"And where was Wolverine?" Bobby wondered pointedly.

"Logan was probably somewhere in Nebraska when that happened," Marie replied smoothly. "He had to go get Tony Stark from California."

"So he thought it was fine for you to go off and do this without any protection?"

Rage flared up inside Marie's chest.

"Logan had _nothing _to do with it," she snapped, pulling her hands away. "He wasn't happy when he found out that I went but he didn't think I was stupid for it!"

"Woah, Marie," Bobby said earnestly, his bright, cool eyes sincere. "I don't think you're stupid. I don't. It's just…" He retrieved her hands, and she reluctantly let him have them. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

"Did you ever wonder what _I _would do?" Marie asked quietly, watching him. His brow furrowed.

"If…" he began.

"If something happened to _you_," Marie finished. "Or didn't you wonder what it would be like around here when it was announced on the news that Iceman was dead?"

Bobby went still, searching her eyes. Finally, he let out a rush of breath.

"I'm sorry."

Her jaw tightened.

"I couldn't tell anybody, not even you," he confessed. Marie waited. He rubbed his eyes.

"Listen, even I don't know all of what's going on. All I know is that Nick Fury asked me to participate in the construction of the Avengers."

"Nick Fury?" Marie sat up.

"Yeah. He said he wanted me to come with him, top secret, and have a planning period, discussing who we should recruit and how we should use our forces once they were organized. I was honored that he wanted my opinion. I got on a plane, having no idea where the heck it was going, and found myself in a compound in Siberia. When I got there, Edmund Vicar was waiting for me."

Marie tensed.

"What did he want?"

Bobby shrugged with one shoulder.

"Nothing. He said I was safe, free to roam around the compound, and that I'd be there for up to a month. Nick Fury came, and the three of us talked about the various mutants I knew and the geniuses Nick knew, and how best to get everybody together. Nick seemed discouraged, because the more I talked about the people I knew, the more he seemed to think that nobody in our proposed group would ever get along---they were too different. Nick and Vicar left me alone after that, and discussed amongst themselves about how to bring people together, but I didn't catch it. It was only when I was on the plane home that I was finally told what happened."

"What did they tell you?" Marie wondered.

"That they had announced to the news media that Vicar, or 'Night Prince' had killed me. They also told me that he was setting up a mock hunt to set Stark and Wolverine and Parker and anybody else against Vicar instead of each other," Bobby explained. He gave a lopsided smile. "And it worked apparently, because everybody's here."

Marie's throat caught, and she could not speak for a long moment. Reflexively, she reached for the flannel blanket stuffed in the corner of the couch, but when she couldn't feel it, she pulled off her gloves and curled her fingers through the blanket.

"He almost killed Logan," she whispered.

"What?" Bobby blinked. She nodded once.

"Peter Parker, too." Her grip on the blanket tightened. "And then he shot Logan through the heart later."

Bobby sighed shakily and sat back, running his hands through his hair.

"Didn't see that coming," he admitted. "He must have acted outside Fury's orders."

Marie didn't answer. Bobby moved to take her hand again, then pulled back when he remembered her skin was bare.

"Marie?"

Both lifted their heads to see Storm walking silently toward them.

"Yeah?"

"Logan sent me upstairs to find his 'good luck charm', and he just said to look for it. Do you know what it is?"

"It's me," Marie said, her heartbeat accelerating. "Why does he need me?"

Bobby shifted uncomfortably, but Marie ignored him. Storm came closer, her expression turning grave.

"Logan, Tony, Peter, Bruce, Angel and myself are going to do some investigating of Dr. Doom." She came closer and sat on a chair across from them. "Night Prince has given us some intel that leads us to believe Doom and Fisk have stolen the old Supersoldier technology."

"What's that?" Marie asked.

"It's a way to manufacture a mutant---to give an ordinary human extraordinary powers of strength, speed, hearing, reflexes…They could make an army with this technology."

"_If _they have it," Bobby added grimly.

"Right," Storm nodded at him.

"When are you leaving?" Marie wanted to know.

"Tonight," Storm said. "As soon as we can get ready. And Logan said he wouldn't be ready until he saw his good luck charm."

"I'd better go," Marie decided, getting up and pulling her gloves back on.

"All right, he's downstairs," Storm told her. "I'm going to change clothes while I'm upstairs." She moved off down the hall and Marie headed to the elevator.

"I'll come with you," Bobby said, getting up.

"No, that's okay," Marie shook her head as she pushed the button. "You need to rest anyway, and get over your jet-lag."

She could see he was going to object, but she smiled gently at him and so he nodded and she stepped into the elevator, her chest relaxing as the doors closed.

VVVV

"I think it's ridiculous that you're not wearing your suit."

"I don't happen to agree with you, Miss Potts."

"Why not?" Pepper demanded, folding her arms across her chest. Tony, digging around in a toolbox under one of the desks in his lab, lifted his mussed head. He was wearing his jeans and a black t-shirt---apparently the clothes he would wear during the mission.

"Because my suit's not conducive to sneaking around in a building," he answered. "Now, if I wanted to start a full-scale _blitzkrieg, _I'd have just the machine. But right now I'd rather recover information than blow it to the moon."

Pepper bit her lip, her arms tightening.

"Don't worry about me, Pep," he grinned crookedly as he got to his feet, tossing a GPS from one hand to the other. "This stuff is old hat." He walked past her to the door, patting her shoulder as he passed. She caught his arm, pulled him back to her and wrapped her arms around his neck, settling her head against his jaw.

"Hey, hey," Tony pulled her closer, turning his face into her hair and rubbing her back. "Are you really that scared?"

"Ever since the testing of the _Jericho_, I'm terrified every time you go out the door," she told him, stroking the back of his head.

"Don't be," he backed up and looked at her reassuringly. "I've got Claws for my babysitter. He'll protect me."

Pepper chuckled in spite of herself, though she kept her hands on his shoulders.

"I'll see you when I get back," Tony said, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "Love you." He pulled away and strode to the door.

"I love you too, Tony Stark," she said quietly, wrapping her arms around herself again. He winked and gave her a half salute before leaving and shutting the door behind him.

VVVVV

"Hey," Marie called quietly. Logan stood amongst the X-Men lockers, pulling on his boot. He lifted his rugged head and caught sight of her coming toward him. He gave her a soft, brief smile.

"Hey. How's my girl?"

Marie's breathing constricted unexpectedly, and she had to loosen it forcefully before she answered him breezily.

"I'm fine."

He concentrated on tying his laces, and she studied his dark brow.

"You wanted to see me?" she inserted into the silence. His smile broadened now and he arched an eyebrow. He shot her a glance as he opened his locker.

"And how did you know I meant you?"

"You've just called me that a few times," she said lightly.

"Have I?" He pulled out his gloves.

"Mhum," she stifled a smile and held out her arms. "So here I am. Now no bullet can touch you."

"That's good," he grunted, putting on a glove. "I'm sure you're getting tired of sewing up the holes in my uniform."

Marie swallowed painfully, fighting to stay casual. But she could see something behind Logan's expression---something hard, and sad. Well, more hard and sad than usual.

"So…how's the Ice-sicle?" Logan muttered, tightening the synch around his wrist.

"He's fine," Marie nodded stiffly.

"Good."

Silence reigned for a moment, only interrupted by tearing Velcro.

"Does he wonder why he's not coming?" Logan pulled on the other glove. Marie's brow furrowed.

"No."

Logan smirked, but it was halfhearted.

"He probably decided to take the night off anyway. I'm sure you two have a lot to catch up on." He secured that glove, then looked at her for a moment before moving to walk past her.

"See you later."

"Logan."

He stopped and faced her. She held out her hand.

"Give me your dog tags."

He frowned.

"Why?"

"Because I want you to come back to get them." She shoved her hand forward. "Hand them over."

He watched her for a moment, then shook his head, chuckling a little. He unzipped the top of his collar, reached in and pulled on the chain around his neck and lifted it over his head. The dog tags jingled against each other and he held them out. He lowered them into her hand and closed her fingers around them.

For a moment, neither of them moved. He just gazed down at their hands. Marie could feel pain emanating from somewhere inside him, but she was at a loss as to how to fix it. He squeezed her hand and backed up.

"I'm holding them hostage," Marie called after him.

"What do you want in return?" he wondered, the teasing air between them returning.

"I'll think about it," she said, putting the dog tags around her own neck. "There are quite a few options. A root beer float, a ride on the motorcycle…"

"Deal," Logan smiled a little, then pushed through the door and left. The smile fled from Marie's face and her throat closed down. She clasped the dog tags between both hands and just stood and stared at the door.

VVVV

"Nice of you to join us," Tony quipped as Logan entered the vast, dark hangar where the Spiderman, Storm, Angel, Rhodes and Bruce also waited.

"Shut up, Tin Man," Logan snapped, his footsteps heavy on the concrete.

"You know, there's a certain irony in that nickname," Tony observed. "Tin is naturally weak, and my armor is almost indestructible. And the Tin Man had no heart, and the fact that I _do_ is just a teeny bit obvious." He drummed his fingernails against his arch reactor.

"Haha," Wolverine muttered. The group began to walk toward the parked cars.

"So what's the plan again?" Spiderman wondered, his voice just an ounce muffled by his mask.

"I thought _you _came up with the plan, Webs," Tony pointed out.

"I know, I know," Spiderman said impatiently. "I just want us to review it."

"Okay, we're taking two cars. It's about an hour and a half drive from here," Tony began, instantly all business. "I've got it plugged into the GPS. Claws, Bruce and I will infiltrate Doom's place. Webs, Gabriel and Storm will hang around outside and act as backup when things get hairy."

"You say that like it's inevitable," Bruce noticed.

"Believe me, it is," Wolverine grunted.

"So I'm Gabriel now?" Angel glanced around.

"What, don't you like it?" Tony wondered.

"I---"

"'Claws' isn't creative at all," Wolverine pointed out, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well, I'm sorry if I can't think of a literary metaphor to compare you to," Tony answered back. "You're just not interesting enough."

"_Wolverine _is fine," Logan growled.

"That's not literary," Tony countered.

"Actually, there's a Native American legend about a Wolverine who---" Storm began.

"Guys, you're wearing me out," Spiderman sighed, pulling open the driver's door of one of the cars. Then he stopped. "Wait a sec---I shouldn't drive."

Tony laughed out loud.

"Just tell the cop that pulls you over that you're going to a costume party."

"I'll drive," Storm offered. Spiderman swung around to the other side of the car and got in the passenger seat, and Angel climbed into the back, fluttering his wings uncomfortably at the tight space.

"I'm driving this one," Wolverine stated, moving to the black BMW.

"No argument from me. I'll take shotgun," Tony said easily, climbing into the passenger side. Bruce, zipping up his jacket, tightened his mouth before he got in behind Wolverine.

"You know they call the front seat that because the man who wasn't driving the stagecoach full of money had the shotgun, so he could shoot robbers?" Bruce mused.

"Really?" Tony slammed his door. "What, does that make you nervous?"

"This whole thing makes me nervous," Bruce muttered.

"Don't worry," Wolverine assured him. "We've done this before."

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note: I realized that I accidentally listed Rhodes as being in the garage when they left. He's not. Sorry. That was a mistake. So just ignore that. __J__ Thanks for the reviews, and please keep them coming!_

VVVVVVVVV

Marie stared at the dark ceiling above her bed, listening to the soft creaks and groans of the old mansion, holding her breath for the sound of the doors opening---the signal that they'd all come back safe and sound.

She glanced at her clock. It was too early for them to be back. It was only 11:30. She sighed, running a hand over her forehead. There was no way she could sleep.

Night Prince and Fury were working together. _They _had constructed the Avengers. Yes, it was a sideways, indirect way of doing it, but that had been their intention. Why? And was Vicar just a stooge, or was he an equal partner? And he had _not _killed Bobby. He had kept Bobby safe the whole time.

So what was he? What were his motives, why had he decided to help them?

Marie bit her lip, then got up and, her pajamas whispering around her, decided to go find out.

VVVV

Tony watched the dark woods fly past them. Inside the car, all was quiet. He glanced at the GPS.

"We're almost there," he noted.

"Yep," Wolverine acknowledged. "I'm assuming we're not parking in the driveway."

"Nope. We can stop anyplace along here," Tony pointed to the shoulder of the road.

"Sounds good." Wolverine slowed the car, pulled over and stopped, turning off the lights. The car Storm was driving pulled up behind them, and everybody got out.

The night was cool and slightly windy, and the pine needles and leaves rustled ominously above them.

"We can walk from here," Tony decided. He rubbed his hands together. "It's chilly."

"Is it?" Wolverine glanced around. "I hadn't noticed."

The group began treading along the gravel beside the road, their footsteps crunching. Tony and Wolverine led them.

Tony's foot caught on something and he tripped.

"Guh!"

"You okay?" Wolverine asked offhandedly.

"I'm sorry, am I the only one who can't see in the dark, here?" Tony asked in mild frustration.

"Um," Wolverine glanced over his shoulder. "Probably."

"I can't see in the dark," Bruce said quietly.

"I should have brought my helmet," Tony muttered. "It's got infrared."

"Just your helmet?" Wolverine raised his eyebrows. Tony could at least see _that_ in the moonlight.

"That would be stylish," Angel snickered.

"Not to mention a bit top-heavy," Bruce added.

"We have some infrared goggles," Storm remembered. "We should have brought them---I just forget sometimes that you can't see."

"Okay, quit making fun of the guy with no superpowers," Tony grumped.

"Just don't fall down," Wolverine warned. "We're real close to Doom's place."

VVVV

Marie crept down the stairs to the basement, still favoring her leg a little. She did not want to use the elevator, because in this stillness, the whole house would hear the heavy machine working.

Finally, she reached the bottom and made her way down the cool, dimly-lit corridor. Her breathing tightened, and chills ran up and down her back. The metal tiles were cold beneath her feet. Logan's dog tags jangled softly against her breastbone.

She felt a breath of air and she wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to shiver. Finally, she rounded a corner.

The Night Prince sat in the far corner of his cell, his arms crossed, his head lowered. A shaft of sterile light illuminated him, but the shadows it caused were deep and dark.

Marie halted, careful to make no sound. But he lifted his face anyway and gazed at her.

"Hello, little one," he said quietly. "Come to ask me questions?"

VVVVVV

"Here we are," Wolverine murmured, peering through the last row of trees at the many-towered, moonlit mansion.

"Creepy," Tony commented.

"With a name like 'Doom,' what do you expect?" Storm wondered darkly.

"All right, this is probably where we ought to split up," Tony decided. "Webs, Storm and Gabriel, just spread out. You'll probably need to keep an aerial eye out," he pointed at Angel. Angel, silhouetted in the pale light, nodded once. Tony cleared his throat.

"All right. Let's do this thing, guys."

"Stay behind me," Wolverine instructed gruffly, and Bruce and Tony wordlessly stepped out behind him into the whispering field. Tony glanced back. Storm, Angel and Spiderman faded into the darkness of the woods. Tony swallowed. He had to admit it---he was nervous without his suit. He had never gone into a fight without its protection before. He reached down to his belt to feel the reassuring coolness of the gun strapped to his belt.

The mansion loomed up in front of them, casting its shadow over them. Wolverine broke into a steady run, and Bruce and Tony followed quietly. They pressed up against the wall of the mansion and Tony surveyed their surroundings.

"I don't see any windows on the first floor," he whispered.

"We might have to go in through the front gate," Bruce suggested. Wolverine, a mere outline in the blackness, shook his head.

"Nope. That will attract attention." He tapped his earpiece. "Spiderman?"

"Yes, Wolverine?" Tony heard Pete's voice in his own earpiece.

"We need some ups."

"How so?"

"The nearest window is two stories above us."

"Got it. Be right there."

Tony and the other two waited with bated breath until a shadow swooped soundlessly toward them and Spiderman's lean form landed feet away from Bruce.

"Where are Storm and Angel?" Tony asked him.

"Storm is still in the woods," Spiderman answered. "Angel is up there somewhere." He pointed to the sky, then quickly cast his gaze across the side of the towering building. "Okay. Up you go." And he raised his arm, pressed his middle fingers to his palm, and his web shot out and stuck securely to a space just beneath a small window.

"Okay, give it here," Wolverine took this end of the strand in both hands. "Let the big gun go first."

"No argument there," Tony glanced around. "Spidey, we'll probably try to use this exit. Stick around in case we need help, okay?"

"Got it, Chief," he said crisply. Tony watched as Wolverine began hauling himself swiftly upward, and prayed that when he got up that high, he would have the self control not to look down.

VVVVV

Marie stopped still. She swallowed, but kept her expression steely.

"What makes you think I came to see _you_?"

Night Prince chuckled.

"Wild guess."

Neither spoke for a moment, then Marie took a brave step toward him.

"All right. Let's pretend I _did _come down here to see you. It would only be because I wanted answers."

Night Prince shifted.

"And you think I will give them to you?"

Marie shrugged.

"You might."

Marie thought she detected a small smile on his face. She expected him to give her some sarcastic answer and blow her off---so she was surprised when he spoke softly.

"What would you like to know?"

She tightened her jaw.

"You're working with Nick Fury?"

"Who told you that?" he wondered, though not harshly.

"Iceman."

"Ah," Night Prince nodded. "Your one true love." She did hear some sarcasm that time. Marie did not answer it.

"Are you working with Nick Fury?" she pressed.

"I was," he acknowledged. "For one project."

"And what was that?"

"Didn't Iceman tell you?" Night Prince wondered. Marie lifted her chin.

"He told me you two were trying to create the Avengers."

"You don't believe that?"

Marie's eyes narrowed.

"You blew up Tony Stark's house, paralyzed Peter Parker, broke my leg, and almost murdered Logan twice." She lowered her voice. "Sounds like you were trying to kill us."

"But I didn't," Night Prince held up a finger. "Notice that. Everybody healed, as I knew they would. And I didn't even lay a hand on Bobby."

"Why did you take _him?"_ Marie tried to keep her voice from shaking. "What's so special about him?"

"He's calm," Night Prince leaned back against the wall. "Cool, collected, logical. Stark would have given us a bunch of crap---he's used to sustained captivity, and he's far too inquiring. Storm…I wouldn't even try. Spiderman is not well-connected to the mutant world. And the Wolverine---I might as well bring an atom bomb into an airplane with me." Night Prince shifted. "Besides, everybody loves Bobby. The students are fond of him, and the staff is protective of him. He was to be the catalyst, the person that would represent an attack on the vulnerability and nobility of the X-Men and all other superheroes. And it worked splendidly." He grinned and held out his hands.

"You didn't really want his input at all," Marie whispered.

"Oh, no, we did," Night Prince was quick to assure her. "And we were glad to have it, too. If we could get him to quit talking about _you_."

Marie blinked.

"He talked about me?"

Night Prince nodded. Marie hesitated.

"What did he say?"

Night Prince laughed and shook his head.

"Oh, it's not what you're thinking. If he'd spent five minutes talking about your good-looks or your charm I would have shut him up. No, what I found most intriguing…and what he was most eager to talk about…" He lifted an eyebrow. "…were your powers."

VVVVVVV

"That was fun," Tony grunted painfully as he pulled himself over the windowsill into the darkened space beyond. He felt as if his arm-muscles were tearing from their sockets. Bruce, who was apparently in slightly better shape, was not huffing and puffing as badly as Tony. Wolverine looked like he was set to have afternoon tea.

"Okay," Tony panted, reaching in his pocket and pulling out a sensor. "The nerve center of this place looks to be…somewhere in the lower levels. That's where I'd poke around."

"Makes sense," Wolverine acknowledged, taking deep breaths through his nose. "This place seems empty."

"It is," Tony nodded. "I'm not getting any life signs."

"That doesn't _necessarily_ mean anything," Bruce reminded them, hushed. "Doom is very technologically advanced."

"Then let's do what we need to do and get out before he knows we're here," Wolverine said swiftly. "Let's go."

The three padded quietly down the nearly pitch-dark corridor, the floor of which Tony perceived was metal.

"Stairs," Wolverine hoarsely warned, and Tony groped for a railing. He found it, and he hurriedly picked his way down the steps after Wolverine, Bruce right behind.

"Here's the floor," Wolverine realized. Tony hit the bottom moments later, and Bruce right after him.

A loud _clang _rang through the space. Blinding white light illuminated the vast, white, empty courtyard.

"Guys---!" Tony gasped, reaching for his gun.

VVVVVVV

"I don't have any powers," Marie stated, confused. Night Prince raised his eyebrows.

"Is that what you think?"

Marie, frustrated that she could not see his face because of the shadows, edged closer."That's what I _know_," she answered.

"What can you do, then?" he wondered. Marie glanced down.

"When I touch people with my skin, I steal their powers if they're a mutant, and I suck the life out of them." She glanced up at him. He was definitely smiling now. "What?" she demanded.

"So it _is _true. I never thought this day would come," he confessed quietly. "I thought the last of us had died long ago."

Marie went cold.

"What do you mean?"

He rose to his feet. Fluidly, he stepped toward her, and she could not force herself to move. He came up to the bars, and for a moment, his eyes blazed red.

"We're peas in a pod, you and I."

VVVVV

_SHINK! _Wolverine's wicked claws shot from his knuckles. The next instant, the floor heaved, like a tablecloth being shaken out, and Tony, Bruce and Wolverine were flung violently to the center of the room. They all managed to keep from slamming too hard into the floor and rolled to their feet, though pain blared through Tony's shoulder. The floor flattened again.

"What the heck was _that?"_ Tony exclaimed.

"I think he knows we're here," Wolverine growled, glaring at the metal walls of the courtyard. The walls that were moving.

"What's that?" Bruce pointed.

"Storm," Tony said, pressing a shaking hand to his earpiece. As they stared, a hundred chambers opened in the walls. The gleaming nozzles of machine guns peaked out.

"Yes, Tony?" Storm's voice crackled. Tony cleared his throat and spoke quietly.

"Help."

The guns fired.

VVVV

Marie was frozen, captured by his haunting gaze.

"What are you?" she said through her teeth. Night Prince's pale, handsome, narrow face tilted toward her between the bars, but he did not reach up to grasp the metal that held him.

"I am called an Obyri. It's an old Slavic word. I'm a mutant."

"And…what can _you_ do?" Marie asked, her voice hoarse.

"The same thing you can," He folded his arms. "I can touch people and take life from them. But I can also do many other things. I can see in the dark, hear like a bat, I'm extremely durable, fairly strong and cold-blooded---although I do bleed and it hurts---I heal quickly…and I live a very long time."

"How old are you?" Marie asked, feeling her curiosity pulling her dangerously into his speech, but being unable to resist.

"I lost track a while ago," he waved it off, turning back toward his corner. "Perhaps four-hundred."

Marie was staggered.

"I don't believe that."

He shrugged.

"Doesn't matter if you believe it or not. Doesn't change the facts. The use of my powers gives me longevity."

Marie stared at him a long time, weighing his words. Then, she decided to risk another question.

"Why aren't there more of you?" Marie asked. He chuckled bitterly.

"Oh, a family member of mine enjoyed his wars too much. And he established himself in a very scary castle and didn't invite anyone to visit. So people began looking for an excuse to massacre his people. A rumor started that he didn't _touch _people to take their life---he sucked blood from their throats."

Marie's stomach clenched and her eyes widened. However, she could not speak because her mouth didn't work. Night Prince went on anyway, carefully studying her face.

"His name was Dracula. Yes, he was real---not just in a book. And yes, Obyri evolved into another word." He raised his eyebrows pointedly. "I am a vampire, little one. And so are you."

VVVVV

Tony threw himself under the staircase, hearing the bullets _ping _like a rainstorm on the floor behind him. But some of them thudded against something softer and solid---and when he landed under the stairs, a bleeding Logan crashed to the ground right next to him. He had shielded Tony and taken the bullets in his back.

Logan groaned, his eyes squeezing shut, and laid down. Tony snatched fistfuls of Logan's jacket.

"Are you okay?" he roared, shaking him. Another salvo of fire exploded over their heads, shattering against the metal stairs.

"Not like I've never been shot before!" Logan answered loudly over the thunder. Tony lifted his head.

"Where's Bruce?"

Logan, forcefully clearing his eyes, sat up and looked around furtively. But neither man saw him.

"Crap," Logan hissed.

VVV

"That's not possible." Marie's voice trembled. "I can't be like you."

"Why not?" Night Prince held out his hands.

"Because…Because I can't see in the dark or hear like a bat and I…age normally and I'm not cold," Marie said in a fearful rush.

"Oh, the cold sets in about your 300th year," he told her. "And you can't do the other things because you haven't set your mind to it."

"What?"

"Obyri powers, unlike any other mutant abilities, are strictly psychological," he began. "You have to believe, totally, that you _can _do whatever it is you are trying to do. If you _believe _you can jump off a building and land without hurting yourself, you can." He looked at her pointedly. "If you _believe _you can touch someone without hurting them…you can."

Marie's heart thudded in her chest. She clenched her hands into fists.

"You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not," he shook his head. "How would any of us be able to have families if we could never touch anybody else? Our kind has survived for nearly a thousand years. We taught our talents to our children, in our homes. That's why your precious professor Xavier couldn't help you. He had no idea what you are."

"Why would I want to live forever?" Marie demanded. "Why would I want to be young while all of my friends get old and die?"

"All of them?" he cocked his head. "How old is your clawed constant companion? By the look in his eye---and that alone, I suppose---I would wager upwards of a hundred."

"Logan?" Marie gasped. "A hundred?"

Night Prince nodded once.

"He ages very, very slowly, probably because of his healing abilities. _He_ wouldn't get old and die and leave you."

Marie gazed at him for what felt like an eternity, letting that sink in. Finally, Night Prince took a breath and stuck his hand through the bars. Marie jerked.

"Relax. I just want you to try something," he said easily. "Grab my hand."

"No."

"What's the worst that can happen? I'm behind bars," he reminded her.

"I could kill you," she murmured.

He looked at her blankly.

"And you think that's bad because…?"

"That's…a good point…" Marie said shakily.

"You can't hurt me, Rogue," he said in a hard voice. "I'm not afraid of you, and you can't hurt me." His eyes pierced. "Grab my hand."

VVV

The floor heaved again. But it wasn't the same as before. Tony sat up. An ear-splitting, beastly roar shook the air. Tony's mouth fell open.

A towering, massive _monster_, seemingly made of rippling, pulsing muscle, his hide thick as tar and so green he was almost black, stood in the middle of the room, shredded clothes hanging off him. His eyes blazed, and his white teeth snarled. He took a wrecking-ball of a fist and swung it into the wall. It punched through, shaking the whole structure, and sending metal and stone flying into the air. Now, all the machine-gun fire concentrated on the Hulk. He roared, more in fury than pain, as the bullets bounced off his skin. But then another weapon powered up.

It was a laser---a green, piercing shaft of light that sliced from one side of the room to the other in brief spurts, originating from a different place each time it fired. It singed the air, and filled it with the stench of ozone. It also cut the floor and walls apart like butter. Even the Hulk couldn't withstand that.

"We've got to disable these weapons," Tony gasped to Logan.

"How do we do that?" he demanded.

"I'll find the control console on this level. Then you slice it apart."

Logan met his eyes.

"Sounds like a plan."

VVVV

Marie was afraid of him. And his hand looked hard as marble. His whole aura seemed impenetrable, invincible---terrible. She swallowed as she realized that her measly ability probably had no chance of doing anything to _him_. In fact, _he _would probably suck _her _dry. But her curiosity burned, and before she knew it she was stretching out her bare hand toward his.

She grasped it. His chilly fingers closed around hers. Nothing happened.

She stared at their clasped hands. He did not move, nor tighten his grip. They stood that way for a full minute, neither of them twitching a muscle.

"There, you see?" Vicar said quietly, finally letting her hand slide out of his.

"How…?" Marie rasped.

"Like I said, it's all psychological."

"But…" Marie's brow knotted in bewildered concentration. "Sometimes I've hurt people and sometimes I haven't. I kissed one boy and I put him in a coma. I kissed another and nothing happened for…I don't know, half a minute. And when I broke my leg, I was on this painkiller that made me be able to touch people---"

Vicar shook his head.

"No. That painkiller must have been a placebo."

"What do you mean?"

"If you're totally relaxed, you can't hurt anybody. The painkiller relieved you, so you were relaxed, and when you touched people you didn't hurt them."

"So…when I touched people later…that was all me?" Marie gasped. He nodded sincerely. Marie covered her mouth with her hand, overwhelmed.

"There's little tricks you can learn, mind games you can play with yourself to help you maintain that security, that confidence, so you won't hurt people," he informed her. "Then, if you _do _wish to hurt somebody, you grab them and _will _yourself to suck them dry, and you can."

"I'd never want to do that," Marie said sharply.

"Don't be so sure," he answered back coldly, arching an eyebrow. "If an enemy was trying to kill one of your friends, I'm sure you would have no objection."

VVVV

Tony spotted the small console in the far corner. But in order to get to it, they would have to leave the shelter of the staircase. So they did the only thing they could think of.

They made a run for it.

They raced along the wall, making themselves difficult targets. Wolverine roared as he charged, rivaling the hammering of the gunfire. Tony shot back up at the machine guns as he ran, hoping to take at least one or two of them out so they wouldn't hit Bruce.

He felt blood splatter against his face before he heard a distinct shot. He slowed down.

"Logan?"

Wolverine whirled, his claws extended. Tony staggered slightly. Wolverine's eyes flashed, and he tackled Tony.

Instantly, Logan pressed his hands down hard over the right half of Tony's chest. That sent agony lancing through Tony---agony he had not felt since the grenade.

He screamed. So did Logan---bullets bit into Logan's back and head and arms. Tony choked, feeling warmth seep out of him. And for the second time in his life, he smelled death.

VVV

Marie looked down at her hand, still eerily stunned that she had not harmed Night Prince.

"You don't suck people's blood," she ventured. He laughed.

"No. The very idea…"

She lifted her head.

"Would you teach me?"

"To do what?" he canted his head.

"To…control my skin."

"Why would I do that?" he airily wanted to know. Marie shrugged.

"You don't have anything else to do. You're locked in a cell."

"Good point," he chuckled. "Although I'm not sure that Wolverine and Stark would be too happy about me getting to close to you. Especially the Wolverine."

"Maybe they'll relax now that you've told them you were actually _helping _them get the team together." Marie tried not to roll her eyes.

"I didn't tell them."

"Why not?" she frowned.

"They didn't ask. They just beat me up."

"Then you can tell them when they get back."

"Ah, yes, they're out on a mission." Vicar sat back down in his corner. "Off to pay a visit to my old friend the Kingpin."

Marie looked at him.

"No. They're going to Dr. Doom."

Vicar turned his head.

"What?"

"They took a group and they're going to investigate Dr. Doom," Marie clarified. "They think he's stolen something---"

Vicar leaped to his feet, lunged and grabbed the bars. Marie leaped back, but Vicar's eyes were wide with dread.

"Oh, tell me you misheard them," he said urgently. She shook her head, her heart starting to pound.

"No, I'm sure. That's where they're going."

Vicar swore, shaking the bars and backing up from them. He leaned back against the wall and covered his face with his hand.

"What's wrong?" Marie demanded, starting to tremble.

"They're going to get killed," he muttered. "They're going to get _killed _because they didn't listen to me."

TBC


End file.
